Never Again
by darkforest214
Summary: Set in the future when Lord Voldemort is at large again. A oneshot inspired by goodness knows what. FredAngelina pairing… R


**Title:** Never Again  
**Author name:** Darkforest214  
**Category:** Romance, Drama, Angst  
**Spoilers:** Books 1 through 5  
**Rating:** PG-13 for it's dark content and hint at violence  
**Summary:** Set in the future when Lord Voldemort is at large again. A one-shot inspired by goodness knows what. Fred/Angelina pairing… R&R  
**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Aka… I own _nothing_!  
**A/N**: Watching late night tv when this idea hit me. I've been reading a lot of Fred/Angelina fics lately and that's probably what inspired this, but anyways, here it is… R&R please!

* * *

Never Again

She looked up at the sound of her cell door unlocking and blinked blindly into the light that streamed through the crack and fell on her face. She had been sitting alone, curled up in this cell for what seemed like an eternity. _'They're finally coming to kill me,'_ she thought as she hugged her knees to her chest and held on tight.

"Hello?" a voice called out cautiously. She looked at the silhouetted figure in the doorway. _'So this is the face of death,'_ she asked herself. Then the tall figure moved inside her cell, blocking the light.

"We've got a live one in here!" he called out. Hearing him shout made her flinch and grab instinctively for the charm of her necklace. He mistook the movement as a gesture of fright, but he didn't know she had already given herself up to Death. "It's all right," he said softly as he slowly moved towards her. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help."

_'Oh yeah? That's what the __**last**__ guy said,' _she thought, too scared to move. How many times had the Death Eaters come, promising not to hurt her? She had lost track, forcing the memories of those horrors out of her mind as the man bent down beside her.

He had moved out of the light and she could almost see his face, but it was his hair that caught her attention. _'That bright red hair reminds me of the Weasleys,'_ she thought idly, her hope slightly renewed.

The man hesitated and slowly a look of recognition came over his face. It had taken him a while, but beneath the dirt and grime and tear stained cheeks was a young girl from his not to distant past. An old friend from Hogwarts, a teammate from their House's Quidditch team; beneath the dirt was Angelina Johnson.

"Oh God," he murmured, "You're alive!" He jumped up and ran to the door, his quick movements making her move closer to the wall; to hide her face and try to melt into the corner. "Fred, Fred come quickly! You won't believe it!"

She heard the hurried footsteps and she felt the eyes of the man staring at her, unable to look away. _'Can this really be happening?'_ she asked herself. _'Is this really him?'_

"It's her, Fred. I'm sure of it," said the first man.

"How can you be positive, George" the second man asked, trying but unsuccessful at hiding the fear and excitement in his voice.

"Look at her face, look into her eyes and tell me that isn't Angelina Johnson," said the first sternly.

She heard their footsteps, she felt the ground vibrate with their every movement, she could smell the scent of fresh, clean air on their clothes, but still she refused to look up.

"Ange, is that you?" a kind, caring and familiar voice asked as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but for the first time in a long while it was not because she had been touched by a man, but because he had placed his hand on her most recent souvenir injury. "I'm sorry Angie, I didn't mean to hurt you," the voice said. It was so full of love that she couldn't help but trust him. "You know I could never hurt you…" he said sadly.

"Oh, Fred!" she said as she burst into tears. The words stung her parched throat and her tears made fresh paths in the grime on her cheeks as she collapsed from her tight bundle and slid unconscious to the floor. Her hand fell away from the necklace and Fred recognized it immediately. He had given it to her upon her graduation, promising her that she'd always be in his heart no matter what. To see that she wore it —clung to it for hope— brought tears to his eyes. George was right, he had been stupid to run from his feelings for her…

"Is she all right?" George asked.

"No, but she will be," said Fred. He looked up at his twin with a look of sheer determination as he scooped the unconscious Angelina into his arms. _'I'll keep you safe, Angie. Nobody will ever hurt you again…'_ he thought with firm resolve as he carried her out of the dark, damp cell and through the winding hallways of the dungeons into fresh air. Into freedom.

_'She's so light, so frail,'_ he thought. _'She use to always be so strong and full of life.'_ Her slight movement brought him from his thoughts. She stirred and looked up at him, recognizing the features she had grown to love and smiled. "Don't worry, I've got you. You're safe now," he said as if comforting a child awoken by nightmares. She smiled again and buried her head into his chest.

She inhaled his scent, absorbed his presence and quietly wondered if this was what it was like to lay in his arms at night, the beating of his heart slowly lulling her to sleep.

* * *

The next time she woke up she found herself lying in a stark white hospital room in St. Mungo's. She looked around her and found him at her side, silently watching her and protecting her sleep. She smiled at him and he jumped slightly, finally noticing she was awake.

"How… are you… how are you feeling?" he finally managed to say. He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes full of worry.

"I've felt better," she whispered hoarsely.

"You've looked better too," Fred added lightly. "That's a pretty nasty black eye you've got there…"

"You don't look too great yourself," she murmured sarcastically.

"I haven't slept in days," he said, shrugging it off. "I was too worried…when we found you… I had no idea you were alive, when you disappeared I thought I had lost you forever," he said sadly.

This wasn't the same, care-free Fred Weasley from their Hogwarts days. This Fred Weasley had witnessed death and destruction, but he was still the man that held her heart.

"Can you help me sit up?" she asked quietly, shoving her thoughts to the back of her mind.

"I don't think I should touch you," he said nervously as he looked down at his feet.

"Why?" was all she managed to say. It still hurt to talk, her jaw still felt swollen. It was much easier to think, unfortunately, but much easier…

"The nurses said you're covered in bruises. Head to toe…They did this to you and I swear they'll pay!" said Fred, an unusual look of anger and fury in his eyes.

"No," she said simply and he nearly stumbled from his chair. _'I caught him off guard, good,'_ she thought. "I can't lose you again," was all she managed to say before tears welled up in her eyes and a lump in her throat made it even more difficult to speak.

"She's awake? Good," said a nurse as she came bustling in. "Now, why don't you go out and get a bite to eat for yourself so I can examine my patient?" she said to Fred.

He cast a longing glance towards Angelina as he was pushed into the hallway, and the door was slammed in his face.

Not knowing how long it would take he decided to go to the waiting area, get some coffee and try to sort out his thoughts. _'Two best friends, but there was always something more. Something neither of us wanted to admit, not wanting to destroy our friendship…'_ he thought. His thoughts lead him all the way to the waiting room where he was greeted by his nervous. twin brother.

"How is she doing, Fred?" he asked.

"She's awake, a nurse is in there with her now," said Fred sounding, for the first time, as tired as he looked.

"You need some rest, mate. There's no use in wearing yourself out when Ange needs you the most," said George. Fred nodded and sank into the nearest chair. "You're going to have to report to the Order eventually," said George quietly as he moved closer to his brother. "You're the only one that hasn't yet…"

"I know, but…can't it just wait?" said Fred. "Like you said, Ange needs me now…" He was just so tired and worried, the tension of it all was bound to break him if it didn't release its hold on him soon.

"I'll talk to them. I'm sure Mum will plead your case," said George reassuringly. Fred nodded, he was too tired to say anything. He closed his eyes and allowed George's soft, calm voice to put him to sleep.

"And I talked with Lee this morning," said George, knowing that he was easing his brother's mind. "He said everything was going fine, but hoped that we would return soon. I believe his exact quote was, 'You and that crazy brother of yours needs to come back because the customers just love you guys.' We're no good on our own, Fred. We're better off when we stick together," he said more to himself. He cast a glance at his sleeping brother. _'At least he looks peaceful…'_ he thought.

* * *

Angelina watched Fred leave and let out a quiet sigh. "You're very lucky," the nurse said, trying to strike up a friendly conversation. Angelina looked skeptically at her, the nurse recognized the look beneath the bruises and elaborated on her original comment. "I mean you're lucky to have him. He hasn't left your side _willingly_ since they brought you here," she said.

"They?" she asked quietly.

"The Aurors and other rescuers," said the nurse. "You're one of the healthier ones out of all they discovered. Most had gone mad…"

_'I don't blame them,'_ she thought. _'I nearly went mad myself…'_

"But there are several other young girls in your state," the nurse said with a sympathetic glance as she changed the bandages on one of her many wounds. "Starved and beaten half to death, and dehydrated…" she trailed off.

_'And raped,'_ she thought bitterly. She knew that the nurse was carefully avoiding the word, but had been thinking it the whole time. _'Nobody will ever admit it, but they will always know…'_

The nurse rambled on as she finished checking her wounds and giving the more critical ones her attention. _'They're only torturing people this time around to put more fear into the Wizarding World…'_ Angelina thought, ignoring most of what the nurse said.

When she was done the nurse said, "I'll be back with your dinner in a minute. Shall I find that red headed fellow for you?"

Angelina thought about it for a brief moment then nodded. they had to clear the air sometime. Why not now?

* * *

George paced the waiting room, the memory of finding her running through his mind. _'The way she flinched at the sound of a man's voice; the way she flinched when Fred touched her… she is so skinny. What did those bastards do to her? She was always so strong…'_

"George?" said a tired voice, interrupting his thoughts.

He jumped and whirled around, "Fred, are you okay?" he asked, casting a worried glance at his brother.

Fred nodded, "But I can't sleep with you pacing around…"

"Sorry, I just can't get that night out of my mind," said George.

"Me neither," Fred said quietly. _'Ange had been so light and fragile when I carried her out…those bastards…'_

"Remember when she first disappeared?" George asked quietly as he took a seat across from Fred.

"How could I forget? 'Thought to be the work of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters, Angelina Johnson was taken from her home last night in the wee hours of the morning. The Ministry of Magic is looking for her, but there doesn't seem to be much hope…'" Fred recited. The rest of the newspaper article had gone on to explain how the Dark Lord's most recent captives had turned up dead several days later.

But days had turned to weeks and weeks turned into months. It had been rough time for Fred. George and Lee had to be careful around him because he was bound to snap at any moment.

When the Order had gotten word of a rescue mission they joined up with a group of Aurors. Assigned to do the grunt work and leave the fighting to the professionals. The Aurors were to take care of anyone that got in their way while Order members and other select "volunteers" searched for any captives. What they discovered had been completely unexpected.

The large manor house had been deserted. They searched from top to bottom and found nothing and no one. It wasn't until a young Auror-in-training stumbled upon the secret passageway that led to the dungeons.

Probably used to smuggle goods or hide hunted people in the days it had been built, the secret cellar had been turned into a maze of passages full of small cells with iron doors and dirt packed floors.

Some of the cells were empty, others held food supplies. Then they found the first victim. Most were near death, having been starved and beaten regularly; others had been half mad, the work of unforgivable spells. Some of the cells held dead captives, some of them had been gone for a while and the smell made their rescuers nauseous.

"So many of them were dead," said Fred, thinking out loud. George knew what he was thinking because the same thoughts ran wild through his mind too. By the time they had reached Angelina's cell they hadn't encountered anyone living for several cells. That's why George had been so surprised to find someone alive.

_'But the way she cowered at my presence,'_ George thought, suddenly back to square one. _'What did those terrible whoresons do to her?'_

The two sat in a moody silence until the nurse stepped in. "I'm taking her her dinner, you're allowed to come visit now," she said to George, not seeing Fred. He nodded and the nurse left carrying the tray.

"I think she meant you," said George. People still confused the two, but they were use to it by now.

"You can come too if you want," Fred offered.

"That's all right, I think I'll wait here until Mum arrives to check on Dad…" said George. He knew his brother well and recognized the relief in his eyes. It was better that he saw her alone.

* * *

Fred walked in behind the nurse and took up his bedside vigil as she set the tray on the table. "It's just chicken noodle soup, you haven't eaten a full meal in a long while and your stomach needs to adjust. Small portions at first, but in a few weeks you'll be eating normal meals again," said the nurse. "Now eat slowly and continue to drink plenty of fluids." Angelina nodded and the nurse left the room in satisfaction.

"We can talk when you're done eating if you want," Fred said cautiously. She nodded and stared at the bowl of soup, making no move to eat it. "Do you want my help?" he asked quietly.

"No," she whispered, "I think I can manage…" Fred stood and pushed the bowl closer to her and handed her the spoon. She smiled her thanks and gingerly began to eat.

Satisfied that she could manage on her own he sat back down in his chair and stared at his hands in his lap.

"Fred?" she said when she had finished. He looked up at her, a blank expression on his face. She smiled, "Stop looking so miserable," she said.

"Can't help it," he said. She recognized the look in his eyes; it was guilt.

"I'm going to be fine, I'll recover," she said, keeping her voice level.

"I feel like it's all my fault," he said quietly as he returned his gaze to his hands.

"You didn't lock me up without food, you didn't do this to me," she pointed to her black eye, "you didn't come to me looking for _entertainment,_" she said the word harshly, causing Fred to look up at her again. "It's not your fault."

"But I feel like I could have prevented it," he said.

"How? By getting yourself killed?" she asked as she fought back another round of tears.

"Be believing myself when I thought I loved you in our school days," he said. "If I would have just listened to my heart—"

"That's in the past. What matters is _Now_. Do you still feel that way?" she asked, thinking she set herself up for heartbreak.

"No," he said softly and her heart sank. "I _know_ I love you now," he said seriously.

She fought it, but a tear still got through. Fred moved to sit next to her on the bed and wrapped her up in a gentle hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him with all her strength. Angelina held on to him, her head buried in his neck. She didn't feel the twinge of pain as her cheek bumped his shoulder, nor could she feel the protest of pain from her bruised back and ribs. Nothing else in the world mattered. Fred Weasley loved her, he finally admitted it.

When he finally pulled away he took up one of her hands in his. _'Look how frail and small,'_ he thought. She smiled and playfully punched his arm. _'She use to hit so much harder…'_ he thought sadly. "What was that for?" he asked out loud.

"For not loving me sooner you great baboon!" she laughed. "I'll get my strength back, and when I do, watch out! 'Cause I just might hit you harder…" she laughed.

This was the old Angelina he knew. He smiled, it was great to hear her laugh. It finally dawned on him, _'We'll both be okay…'_

He kissed her un-bruised cheek, "I look forward to it, Love," he said. She smiled and he hugged her again.

"I love you too," she murmured in his ear.

"Don't worry, I'll never let anything like this happen to you ever again," he said with firm resolve.

"I don't doubt that for one second," she said with a smile.

"Never again…"

* * *

**A/N:** As always R&R. I try to R&R works of my reviewers so lemme know what ya think please! 


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